1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a compact printing device for printing images on a printing medium by manually scanning the printing device over the printing medium without the aid of a transport means.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been known a compact printing device for printing images on a printing medium by manual scanning the printing device over the printing medium without the aid of a transport.
FIG. 1 Is a perspective view showing a print data input portion 100 of a conventional compact printing device. The input portion 100 includes at its outer front surface Hiragana keys 102, conversion keys 104 and a liquid crystal panel 106. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing essential configuration of a printing portion of the conventional compact printing device. The printing portion 110 includes a right roller 120, a left roller 122, an ink ejecting ink jet head 124 formed between the right and left rollers 120 and 122, and a head controller 112 for controlling the ink jet head 124. Although not show in the drawings, a CPU is housed inside the printing device 1.
Next, a process for printing images using this type of printing device will be described. First, a user inputs printing data using the keys 102 and 104, and confirms their accuracy on the liquid crystal panel 106. The CPU converts the printing data into printing image data and transmits the data to the head controller 112.
The user then manually scans the printing device 1 across a printing medium 114 in a scanning direction indicated by an arrow B in FIG. 1. At this time, the printer portion of the printing device, that is, a bottom surface s viewed in FIG. 2, is pressed against the printing medium 114. The rollers 120,122 rotate in association with scanning movement of the printing device. The head controller 112 controls the ink jet head 124 to eject ink to print the printing image data on the printing medium 114.